It seems to me that Portis could use another blocker/occasional runner in the backfield. I don't trust our OL to open necessary holes for so small a back as Portis and would like to send a back ahead of him to pick off any missed tacklers first.
My question to you all: Would this tend to slow Portis up or create new opportunites for reading breaks and rapid cuts?

I think we need to give this year's OL a chance before we start recruiting additional players (not on the OL) to block for Portis. POrtis has one year under this system, and he will be much improved (patient, knowledgeable) in it come September. Should the OL struggle again this year (for reasons other than injury) we can talk about getting an FB...

Portis is a GREAT open field back but he does not consistentley show the power necessary for short yardage. They need a power runner (ie. Riggins, Riggs, Davis) to get those tough yards near the goal line.

crazyhorse1 wrote:It seems to me that Portis could use another blocker/occasional runner in the backfield. I don't trust our OL to open necessary holes for so small a back as Portis and would like to send a back ahead of him to pick off any missed tacklers first. My question to you all: Would this tend to slow Portis up or create new opportunites for reading breaks and rapid cuts?

Exactly the point that made Joe Gibbs, Dan Henning, and Don Breaux invent the H-back.

They figured that a tight-end would be a better blocker and better receiver than a typical fullback. Also that a small halfback (Joe Washington) would be a weak blocker when they handed the ball to their regular fullback (John Riggins). Their solution was to switch between Washington and Riggins, the lightning bolt and the sledge-hammer, but always to have someone like Doc Walker as lead blocker.

Thanks for the football and history lessons, but perhaps much of the problem is that I have not expressed myself well.
What I am wondering is whether or not the Skins should use a full back, as well as an H Back, not just on short yardage plays, but on typical plays. I simply don't believe we have a strong enough blocking OL to keep sending Portis into the line from the present formation. I'm actually for trading the guy if we can't figure out how to use him or acquire the personnel needed for his type of running game pretty much pronto. Otherwise, we'll waste his career and our chances.

1. Backups to Portis and Betts.
2. Learning the H-back position. This would allow us to use ey at the TE position in certain plays. I think this would definately add more confusion to the defense.
3. Short yardage.
4. A traditional fullback to Portis
5. Dual RB formation with ey and Royal at TE.

I think these two kids bring us that short yardage power we need on crucial 3rd down and redzone conversions. If the o-line is blocking well enough then Portis will be able to get in but if he tries once and can't punch it in, twice at the most...lets bring in the heavy hitters to push that line.

I think its way to early to consider using an H back and fullback because our o line has a lot of prove. There are potential pro bowlers in at least 3 out of 5 positions along the line and I did indeed see some large holes being opened up for CP in the few moments that Gibbs acutally showed something of what he might have up his sleeve this year.

"Never get less than 12 hours sleep, never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city, and never go near a lady with a tattoo of a dagger on her hand. Now you stick with that, and everything else is cream cheese." - Teen Wolf

Cooley47 wrote:ummmmm no. Portis's system throughout college and especially in Denver was not running behind anyone. It was running alone and finding holes.

He is not taught to run behind people and that is why he is still somewhat struggling in our system. The last thing he needs is another lead blocker

You bring up an excellent point, one that was made a lot during this Sundays game. I think we're still trying to run a little bit of those systems.

I wonder if we need to stick to one and perfect it. If we're going to keep Portis for the long haul then we need to put him in a system that utilizes him the best. I love Gibbs running schemes but I still feel that Portis isn't the back to run it effectively. If Ricky wasn't so weird and we didn't have Portis, I'd snatch him up and I can only imagine how well he'd run it!